We’re all blind to this.

So last night, I THOUGHT my CPA had made a typo. Surely he’d MEANT to write “$8,000” in his email.

Nope.

He ACTUALLY meant it when he wrote, “Go ahead and write a ‘make-up’ check for $88,000 this week, Erin.”

Um, that WAS NOT part of the plan.

I hired him this year and paid him (REALLY) good money to PREVENT random, unexpected tax surprises like this.

Or so I’d thought.

(As some of you may remember, “CPA” has long been a full on Harry-Potter-Defense-Against-the-Dark-Arts position for me to fill for the past 3 years…)

HERE’S WHERE THIS GETS AMAZING THOUGH.

Late last evening Josh pointed out to me that immediately after getting the not-so-fun news about this unexpected check I needed to write, I…

3 minutes later went on to change a client’s life in an amazing session,

sent out 10 work emails,

brought in a new client,

enjoyed a nice dinner with good conversation,

caught up with a friend,

and mapped out my next day.

Seems like NBD, yeah?
That’s what I thought, too.

But then he pointed out…

“YOU WOULD HAVE ABSOLUTELY LOST YOUR SHIT about this had this happened before you worked on your headtrash. Like, if this had happened 2 years ago—you would have been outraged, would’ve crawled into bed, cancelled all client calls, and not talked to anyone for a day — and then it would’ve bothered you and derailed your productivity for and entire week.”

Whoa.
He was right.
I used to be a bit of a train wreck.
And it used to slow me down like crazy.
Excuse me.
*I* used to slow me down like crazy.
And….

YOU CANNOT BE A LEADER if you’re always losing your shit when things don’t go as you plan.

YOU CAN’T BE WILDLY PRODUCTIVE if unexpected bumps in the road always throw you into a tailspin.

YOU CAN’T BUILD MOMENTUM when you shut yourself off to the world.

YOU CAN’T BE IN A STATE OF FLOW when you like awake at night fearing all the possible horrible things that could possibly happen but likely won’t.

—————-

Before, with headtrash = “tough” news derailed me.

Now = I apparently just pick myself up, dust myself on, and keep moving forward, without having to “work” at handling things better. I just… DO.

Unexpected events like the email last night don’t necessarily FEEL lovely, but the despair and anxiety that I used to be flooded with are just … no longer there.

The thing is…

…I didn’t even realize how drastic and amazing the change was until someone else pointed it out to me.

I HADN’T EVEN NOTICED
that I’d literally transformed
into the version of me
I’d always wanted to be
who could handle whatever showed up
without blowing up like some
real-housewives-of-wherever-stereotype-drama-queen.

Didn’t even friggin’ notice.

—————-

I often have to point out or remind my clients just how far they’ve transformed by the time they graduate. Change is so effortless and natural it all feels like no big deal.

And apparently I’m not immune to overlooking how far I’ve come or how I’m like a completely upgraded person in so many ways.

—————-

NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE
OR HOW FAR YOU’VE COME…

It’s hard to see the label when you’re inside the bottle.
It’s hard to see the water when you’re a fish.
It’s hard to see yourself aging.

—————-

So often we’ve come SO far….
…and have accomplished so much…
…and have achieved what we set out to…
…yet (heartbreakingly)

never
even
notice
it.

Just as I did to myself last night….

….what astonishing accomplishments + amazing progress of your own might you be overlooking, right now?